The ARM version of Windows 8 might have just become the most desired version of Windows in our hearts and minds. After us talking about legacy code and backwards compatibility in Windows for years now, an Intel senior vice president, Renee James, has just stated that Windows 8 on ARM will not have any form of compatibility for legacy applications whatsoever. Update:Microsoft has responded to Intel's claims. "Intel's statements during yesterday's Intel Investor Meeting about Microsoft's plans for the next version of Windows were factually inaccurate and unfortunately misleading," the company said, "From the first demonstrations of Windows on SoC, we have been clear about our goals and have emphasized that we are at the technology demonstration stage. As such, we have no further details or information at this time."

photoshop, autocad, 3d studio max.
If you get windows8 with arm and already paid for any of the above do you expect to get the arm versions for free??

These, who are on the Adobe/Autodesk heroin supply, usually repaying for these apps every year.

You selected 2 slowest and bug-making companies.
I don't expect anything from them. It takes several years for adobe to port flash. Autodesk can't even fix annoying bugs in their $6k product, and they are on the way to screw up the Maya finally.

Let's not forget where ARM processors would typically be used. We're talking iPad style tablets and some laptops for now, not replacing the workstations heavy hitters like CAD and 3D modelling software typically need. At least not in the short term

This is one of the most prominent examples. Flash on x86_64 still hasn't reached stable status and it has been in development for years!

And that's exactly the point, why it's not just a matter of recompiling. If it was, I highly doubt that Intel had been so successful with their x86 platform and that Microsoft had stopped development of NT on MIPS, Alpha and PPC.